Three weeks passed.
Birds chirped softly beyond the window beneath the bright morning sun.
Outside the hospital room, two men in black suits stood guard beside the door in complete silence.
"The checkup is done. I'll excuse myself now, ma'am." The nurse bowed politely before leaving the room.
The door clicked shut.
The woman remaining inside stepped toward the window and pushed it open slightly. Fresh air drifted into the quiet room, stirring the curtains gently.
She walked back and sat beside the bed where Haru lay motionless, eyes still closed.
For a brief moment, she studied him.
Then closed her eyes softly.
"What makes this man so special…?"
The president of the World Association had personally sent her from Japan HQ just to watch over him. Yet his Quinacity felt absurdly weak. Barely above an ordinary human.
"According to the reports, he had possessed no Quinacity at all before entering that Rift."
Slowly, her eyes opened again. Curiosity lingered in them. "So how…? He had annihilated the entire dungeon. Destroyed the boss. Destroyed the Rift itself."
Even now, a massive scar remained carved across the land outside where the slash had passed. And the Rift, supposedly C-rank—
Had felt closer to B-rank… maybe even A-rank as they said."
Her gaze settled on Haru once more.
"So what exactly are you… Haru?"
Then—
His finger twitched.
Her expression changed immediately.
Softer. Haru's eyes slowly opened. For a few seconds, he only stared blankly at the ceiling.
"You're finally awake."
The gentle voice pulled his attention sideways. Haru carefully turned his head.
A beautiful woman sat beside him.
"…Who are you?" he asked quietly.
The woman smiled faintly.
"Yumi Harakura." She placed a hand lightly against her chest. "I was assigned to look after you."
Haru exhaled quietly.
"Look after me…? Why?" His eyes drifted back toward the ceiling. "Did I do something?" Yumi blinked. "Huh? You don't know why…?" She lifted a glass and took a small sip of water.
Haru remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "I'm just grateful to whoever saved my life inside that dungeon."
Yumi's brows subtly drew together.
Something felt wrong. "You don't remember what happened inside the Rift?" she asked carefully. Haru shook his head slightly.
"All I remember is lying on the ground… unable to move." His voice weakened faintly. "Everything hurt so much…" — "…Even now."
Yumi fell silent.
"Then was it someone else…? But the reports were clear. Only Haru had emerged from the Rift before it disappeared completely. Was he controlled?
If so… by what exactly?"
"You seem lost in your thoughts."
Yumi blinked and looked back at him.
"N-No… it's nothing." She straightened slightly. "I'm fine."
Haru slowly pushed himself upright.
Pain immediately shot through his body.
A quiet grunt escaped his lips as he grabbed his shoulder, testing it carefully. Even struggling, he still forced himself to sit properly.
"Can I ask you something… Ms. Yumi?" he asked awkwardly.
Yumi looked up from the orange she was peeling. "Go on," she replied softly.
"How long have I been here?" Haru's question.
"Three weeks." She separated another slice neatly before handing the orange to him. "You've been asleep for three straight weeks." Haru blinked in surprise.
"…Ah. Is that so." He accepted the orange carefully. "Oh… and thanks for this."
Yumi simply nodded with a gentle smile.
But behind her calm expression, her thoughts remained restless.
"He seems normal… Does he truly remember nothing from that day?
Should I tell him…? Or is it better this way?"
Her eyes closed briefly as she exhaled quietly. Then she stood. "I'll call the nurse."
"O-Okay…" He reply.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Silence returned.
Then— THUMP.
Haru's entire body trembled violently.
His heartbeat echoed painfully inside his chest. "Ghk—" A sharp pain exploded through his head. THUMP. Another heartbeat. His vision shook. Distorted.
The room blurred for a moment before slowly stabilizing again.
Haru stared at his hand nervously.
"W-What was that…?" Slowly, he moved his fingers. Then his arm. Then his shoulders.
His legs. His entire body.
His eyes widened.
The pain— Gone. Completely gone.
His body felt light. Strong. Refreshed.
As if he had never been injured at all.
Haru stared silently at his own hand, unable to process the sensation.
Then— Creak. The door opened. Yumi entered alongside a nurse. Haru's attention snapped toward them immediately. The nurse began checking him carefully—pulse, breathing, injury recovery, vital signs.
Minutes passed.
Finally, the nurse lowered the clipboard slightly and looked toward Yumi.
"Ma'am… did you heal him with magic?"
Yumi blinked in surprise.
"No… I didn't."
Her gaze slowly shifted toward Haru.
The nurse quickly wrote something down.
"I'll file this report for now. I'll return once discharge approval is finalized."
She bowed politely before leaving again.
The room fell quiet. Yumi looked directly at Haru and said. "So… you can use healing magic." — "Healing magic?" Haru frowned in confusion. "I don't have healing magic."
Now both of them looked genuinely confused..Silence stretched between them.
Neither spoke.
Then—
The door opened once more.
"Mr. Haru, you're approved for discharge."
• • •
Outside the hospital entrance, Haru stood beside Yumi's two bodyguards while staring absently at the sky. Birds crossed overhead.
"Let's go." Yumi's voice came from behind him. Haru turned quickly. "Sorry for the trouble… I'll pay you back some—"
"There's no need," Yumi interrupted gently before he could finish. "Just get in the car."
Haru scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"…Right." He followed her inside.
The two sat in the back seat while the bodyguards drove from the front.
For a while, only the quiet hum of the road filled the silence.
"Where are we going again?" Haru finally asked.
"To register you as an aberrant." Yumi replied. Haru froze. "…What?" His eyes widened. "But I don't have Quinaci—"
"Yes, you do now," Yumi interrupted calmly.
Haru stared at her speechlessly. "It's weak," she continued. "Barely above ordinary human levels. Probably F-rank."
Haru leaned back slowly against the seat, still unable to fully believe it. Outside the window, the city continued moving normally
—
Completely unaware that the man once labeled powerless had finally awakened.
After some time— The car arrived at a TWA registration branch.
Haru stepped out of the vehicle and stared quietly at the building before him.
"I'm back here again…"
The memory of his failure lingered faintly in his chest.
Then Yumi stepped beside him.
"Let's get your Aberrant ID," she said with a small smile.
The registration period had already ended weeks ago, so the building was far less crowded now. The two walked through the hallway together. "That girl… isn't she—"
A woman whispered nearby before another immediately hushed her. "Shh. Quiet."
Further down the hall, a group of young men stared openly. "Hey… isn't that the guy with no Quinacity? The one who kept failing the assessments?" another added. "I heard he finally awakened inside a dungeon after Brutcher Guild used him as bait."
The whispers followed them the entire way.
Haru kept walking silently. Yumi didn't even glance at them. Eventually, she opened the registration office door. The woman behind the monitor looked up— and immediately stood in shock. "M-Miss Yumi?!" She hurriedly bowed. "What brings you here, Miss Yumi?" Then her eyes shifted toward
Haru standing beside the orb. "…That's…"
"I'm here to request an Aberrant ID license for him," Yumi said calmly. "Y-Yes, ma'am!"
The woman quickly gathered herself.
"I'll prepare everything immediately."
Yumi stepped away and sat quietly on a nearby bench while watching the process.
Haru approached the desk.
"It's been a while, Miss Fei," he said softly.
Fei looked at him for a moment before smiling warmly. "I know." There was genuine relief in her expression. "I'm glad you finally awakened." Then she gestured toward the orb. "Please place your hand on it."
Haru nodded. Slowly, he placed his hand against the orb. A few seconds passed.
Then— A faint glow appeared. Tiny. Weak.
But real. Haru stared at it quietly.
So did Fei. And despite how small the light was— Both of them smiled.
Because for Haru, even this tiny light meant the impossible had finally happened.
After everything was finished, Haru and Yumi stepped outside the building together.
"I'll be leaving now," Yumi said as her bodyguards opened the car door for her. "I still have reports to complete." She paused briefly before adding, "I'll return soon."
Haru nodded quickly. "Take care, Ms. Yumi!"
Yumi smiled faintly and waved before entering the car. Moments later, the vehicle disappeared down the road.
Silence returned.
Haru slowly lifted the ID card in his hand toward the sunlight. And what's printed in the card is..
Name: Haru
Rank: F-rank
Class: N/A
Guild: None
And unlike every ordinary Aberrant ID—
His card was black. Haru stared at it for a long moment before pressing it gently against his chest. His eyes closed.
"Wait for me… Yue." The wind brushed softly against his hair. "I'll find you. No matter what."
Even now— Even after everything— Even knowing she might already be gone Something deep inside him still refused to believe it. Somewhere in his heart—
He could still feel her alive.
Haru opened his eyes again and turned to leave.
Then—
A sharp digital sound echoed beside him.
He stopped instantly.
"…?"
A dark crimson window suddenly appeared in front of him. Floating. Unnatural.
Only a single sentence was written across it.
"Activate System?"